Photo of Dana Watson
By TNCPNEWS Staff
According to reporting by East Lansing Info (ELi), former East Lansing City Councilmember Dana Watson filed a discrimination complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) against East Lansing City Manager Robert Belleman, alleging that she was intentionally excluded from critical communication during Michigan State University’s August 2025 welcome week because of her race and sex.
Watson, who served on East Lansing City Council from 2020 to 2025, is noted as the longest-serving Black councilmember in the city’s history. Her complaint centered on a period during welcome week when multiple police-related incidents involving Michigan State University students sparked widespread public scrutiny and accusations of excessive force, including incidents that later became the subject of federal lawsuits.
According to Watson, while other councilmembers received direct phone calls from Belleman regarding unfolding events, she did not. At the time, Watson was the only Black member of council and had often been among the most vocal elected officials questioning police conduct during public meetings.
In correspondence shared with current City Council members on April 21, Watson stated that while her white colleagues were directly informed, she was left piecing together information from social media.
“The community began approaching me for accountability and expressed their concerns with what was happening,” Watson wrote. “I looked like a fool that no other council member did.”
Watson argued that the lack of direct communication impaired her ability to fulfill her responsibilities both as a councilmember and as the council liaison to the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission.
Documents from MDCR, cited in ELi’s reporting, found insufficient evidence to sustain the discrimination complaint. The department determined that Belleman had included Watson in email communications and that his failure to call her individually stemmed from contacting councilmembers in alphabetical order, with Watson’s name appearing last on the five-member council roster. MDCR described the omission as an “innocent mistake.”
Despite that conclusion, Watson challenged the explanation, noting that even after she publicly referenced her lack of awareness during a meeting involving city officials, Michigan State University leadership, and community partners, the communication disparity was not immediately acknowledged or corrected.
“When I mentioned my ignorance and referenced TikTok during an in-person gathering… the city manager did not acknowledge the ‘innocent’ oversight or offer to bridge the communication gap,” Watson wrote.
Watson also described broader frustrations during her tenure, writing that in closed sessions she often felt isolated while confronting what she characterized as institutionalized bias.
The complaint emerged amid broader questions about equity and inclusion within East Lansing’s government structure. It follows recent concerns regarding changes to diversity, equity, and inclusion-related leadership roles that have generated additional public scrutiny.
While MDCR closed the complaint without further action, Belleman was reportedly counseled on improving communication practices and issued an apology.
When asked by ELi whether filing the complaint risked damaging relationships with city leadership, Watson remained firm.
“What bridges would I burn trying to hold people accountable?” Watson said. “Are you on the right side of what’s happening, or are you on the wrong side?”
For more information on East Lansing news log on to https://eastlansinginfo.news/
This story was originally printed on April 28, 2026
